All posts filed under: z157

Was a coincidence a message from God?

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A young Iranian man living in Australia became a Christian after a strange coincidence. According to Lee Grady, a popular US Christian writer, in 2016 the young man had decided to watch the film Hacksaw Ridge that told the story of Pfc. Desmond Doss, who volunteered to be a medic during World War II. However, because of his Christian faith, Desmond refused to carry a weapon, but after nearly being kicked out of the army, he was allowed to stay and became the only conscientious objector during World War II to win a Medal of Honor after saving 75 men during the battle for Okinawa. However, during the early part of the movie, the young Iranian man was struck by the words of the Lord’s prayer that were displayed in a picture frame beside Doss. The well-known prayer starts with: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Luke 11:2 KJV Being a Muslim from Iran, the young man had …

Lies of Depression

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Last week I wrote about what depression is and how it can manifest itself. I also mentioned the danger of believing the lies that you are not good enough, strong enough, and that people would be better off without you. I also said that these lies stem from fear and judgement. This week we examine these lies. A disclaimer is that I am not saying that all depression is spiritual. There are many elements that trigger depression and once you are in a depressed state, the enemy lies to you about who you are and who loves you. These are some of the lies of depression: I am not good enoughI am not strong enoughI am not loved enoughI am not worth enoughI am not needed enough All these lies can join together into two harmful beliefs: My life is hopeless, and I am helpless. Once there, suicidal ideation is not far off. Once I start fantasizing about my suicide, it is difficult to pull out of it. Especially when we reach the point that …

Transgender Versus Binary Thinking

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Are you a feminist? [Answer yes or no.] If you answer yes, I can tell you the correct type of feminist you must be. You don’t have a choice. You must think a certain way. If you are on the team, you must be orthodox. If you answer no, you are incorrect, and you are the enemy. That is an example of binary thinking. You have the choice to be correct, and then you must be completely correct and orthodox, or you are on the other side, and they are always wrong. I used the word “feminist” because it gets attention, but any belief fits the conversation. I grew up with Christians who were binary in their beliefs; people who were proud to be called fundamentalists. As a young boy I learned to avoid all discussions in the house and play with my friends outside. When I became an adult, I wanted to be a Christian, but the choice was hard for me. I didn’t want to win the argument, I wanted to know God. …

What is the strongest thought you have about yourself?

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What is the strongest thought that you have of yourself and what thoughts are rolling around in the back of your mind supporting it? Over the past years the strongest thoughts and opinions that I had of myself was that I couldn’t do anything and I had all sorts of excuses: There was the comparison trap. Susie was better at this than me. In fact, almost everyone was more capable and gifted than me and comparing myself to them just made things worse. I don’t have everything together in my life right now to tackle this. I thought I needed to be perfect, before I could accomplish anything. There has been too much struggle and rejection. If others don’t think I have what it takes, then who am I to think I can. I keep trying, but people keep getting in my way. I can’t do this anymore.  In my mind I was never enough or up for the challenge. Comparing myself to others and being directed by other’s rejection is what defined me.    Everything …

Spiritual warfare in Washington, DC?

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Reports are circulating again of how a group of self-proclaimed internet witches are planning to put a hex on President Donald Trump and his supporters. This involves an internet driven witch group with approximately 13,000 followers around the world. According to Michael Snyder, members of this group will join together at 11:59 on October 25, 2019, to put a spell on Trump and his followers. Apparently that day was chosen because of its tie to a “waning crescent moon.” Snyder says this “binding spell” is intended to influence Trump. Also referred to as defixiones, they are designed to stop Trump from doing certain things that the witches believe will hurt America. According to the Washington Examiner, the witches have been specifically instructed to conjure up “demons” to carry out this spell: “The ritual calls for the use of an unflattering photo of Trump, a tarot card, a stub of an orange candle, a pin, and a feather. Participants then call on the ‘heavenly hosts, demons of the infernal realms, and spirits of the ancestors” to …

A cute study reveals an odd thing about atheists

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There has been an interesting trend in recent years during times of tragedy when people typically express their thoughts and prayers. Atheists are now overtly outraged at these kind gestures, even though studies show that, many people (even those not overtly religious) actually appreciate such expressions, because we are social beings and are strengthened by the larger community’s support. A cute study conducted by researchers from Harvard University and the University of Wyoming wanted to take a closer look at this phenomenon. The study results, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, exposed a very unusual trait among atheists. The researchers studied people from North Carolina who lived through Hurricane Florence that hit in September 2018. It dropped upwards of 35 inches (0.89 meters) of rain causing massive damage largely due to flooding. They gave each of the 482 participants, who ranged from atheists to Christians, $5, who were told they could use the money to gain supportive prayers or thoughts from others after the crisis. Those …

Suicide’s Lie

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ESPAÑOL: La mentira del suicidio This is the first of a series of articles about depression. Depression has deep mental and physical roots as well as a powerful spiritual dimension. Often it manifests with a feeling of being out of sync with our world, our family, and even ourselves. And when we are out of sync with the world it feels like we just don’t fit. We start to withdraw from a world that doesn’t seem to care, is hostile, or can’t be bothered with us. The more we step back, the harder it is to stop. We hear that constant voice that offers peace in a world without peace until one moment, one desperate moment, in which the pain of life overwhelms us and we reach for the one way out. And in a flash our life is over. Our pain which was so deep is now transferred to those who love us. Our loss fuels their fire of guilt and anger. Blame is rampant and their lives will never be the same. Just as …

Those People are So Stupid

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We live in interesting times.  With the Internet and communication for everyone, the whole world is communicating, That means we are arguing. Someone has said that we now have smart phones, and stupid people. Someone else told us that we have this amazing Internet where we can discuss any issues without collective intelligence, and we send each other pictures of cats. And you might hear about those other people, and how stupid they are. “Stupid” is one of our favorite words for insulting other people. In the Bible, we read the word “Fool.” Jesus knew this, and He didn’t like it: But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell. Matthew 5:22 Notice that Jesus used the word “racah.” That is important in the Bible. Where I live, someone just used the word ‘stupid’ to …

Where are your thoughts taking you?

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My greatest struggle over the years has been that deep-rooted feeling that I was ‘not good enough.’ Feeling and believing this way led me to some very unhealthy places. I became lethargic and allowed circumstances to roll over me because I believed I was a door mat. People were always going to wipe their feet on me, because that’s who I was. Because I was thinking I wasn’t good enough, it brought along feelings that I can’t do this. I have failed before, so I will probably fail again. The mind is the battlefield, and your life is always moving in the direction of your strongest thoughts. You become who you think you are. The Bible says that as a man thinks so is he (Proverbs 23:7). In other words, our thinking becomes our reality. If you believe you are a victim, always blaming outside circumstances, you will stay a victim. Yet the power to change is inside you, but if you believe it isn’t, then you are trapped. When your mind is consumed by …

Jesus and the Feast of Tabernacles

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The Jewish Feast of Tabernacles also called the Feast of Sukkot or Feast of Booths started this past Monday (October 14, 2019) and will run for seven more days. There are seven feasts instituted in the Old Testament and the Feast of Tabernacles is one of the three pilgrimage festivals, along with Passover and the Festival of Weeks, that requires Jewish males to visit Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). The Feast of Tabernacles is the last feast on the Jewish Calendar and falls in September or October, five days after the Day of Atonement. The seven feasts fell in this order: Feast of PASSOVER  (Leviticus 23:5) Feast of UNLEAVENED BREAD  (Leviticus 23:6) Feast of FIRST FRUITS  (Leviticus 23:10-11) Feast of PENTECOST  (Leviticus 23:17) Feast of TRUMPETS (Leviticus 23:24) Feast of ATONEMENT (Leviticus 23:27) Feast of TABERNACLES  (Leviticus 23:34) So should Christians celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles or any of the other feasts? I don’t think there is any problem if they do. In fact if we look at the Book of Acts, we see hints that Paul …